trent hunter aside, who's this seasons next best rookie forward?

[sensfan18]

For this season, Bergeron without a doubt. But for future, it is Stall and Zherdev by a country mile.

 

[Douggy]

Easily Bergeron.

 

[Crusher20]

Malone and is -25?

Ryder is my choice, and Hunter is above him, but like i said in the past, that changes every 2 weeks, depends of the hot and the cold streaks they have.

 

[Crusher20]

Malone has been amongst the top five rookie forwards easily, and IMO is in the top three.

What is your top 3?

here is mine:

1. Hunter
2. Ryder
3. Bergeron

I just dont see how malone can get in the top 3 forwards. Hunter as 22 goals and as +20, Ryder is the top scorer with a 4 pts advantage and Bergeron is 18 years old and playing like a veteran out there playing in all situations, i just dont see Malone in the top 3, but id rank him in the top 5.

 

[Rowsdower]

Malone and is -25?

Ryder is my choice, and Hunter is above him, but like i said in the past, that changes every 2 weeks, depends of the hot and the cold streaks they have.

Hardly a valid arguement.....look at the team he's playing with.......

Malone continues to get snubbed in these threads.....before camp he was pencilled in for the AHL and has stepped up and really carried the team....IMO w/o Malone the Penguins could have been even worse this season.....

 

[Evilo]

He's playing on what is easily the worst team in the league. Nobody has a positive plus/minus except Scuderi, and that's because he's played in less than 5 games.
Ryder would be -20 on the Penguins as well, no doubt.
Malone should be judged on his scoring and defensive play, and even then, his assist numbers suffer from having incompetent linemates.

 

[Newfie Bruin]

Bergeron!!!!

 

[stardog]

What is your top 3?

here is mine:

1. Hunter
2. Ryder
3. Bergeron

I just dont see how malone can get in the top 3 forwards. Hunter as 22 goals and as +20, Ryder is the top scorer with a 4 pts advantage and Bergeron is 18 years old and playing like a veteran out there playing in all situations, i just dont see Malone in the top 3, but id rank him in the top 5.

If you look at, and follow the title of thr thread, then you will ee why I put him in my top three.

 

[Vincent_TheGreat]

ERIC STAAL. Zherdev may but more points on the board but Staal is much better overall player.

 

[Vincent_TheGreat]

Malone and is -25?

Ryder is my choice, and Hunter is above him, but like i said in the past, that changes every 2 weeks, depends of the hot and the cold streaks they have.

terrible argument. +/- is not an individual stat in reality!

 

[Jeff Goldblum]

Malone is in all reality the Pens best forward this year. Two points behind Tarnstrom for the lead in scoring. 1.5 times the goals that anyone else has (18 compared to 12).

 

[Jamie Thomas]

This year : 1- Ryder
2- Hunter
3- Bergeron

For the future:

1- Staal: This guy is amazing, he can do it all, I would take him in my team any time.

2- Zherdev: He has a really really great pair of hands. He is spectacular, can score really nice goals. Nice vision also.

3- Ryder: I believe he is a very complete player, physical, good passer, and what a wrist shot. I'm sure he will be a 25 goals, about 55 to 60 points a year, and solid in the three zones. He could well become the next 30 goal scorer for the Habs.

 

[Takkie]

I dont why Nathan Horton is so Overlooked, the guy was on a Tear before he got injured and he was a Physical Force, not to mention the youngest player ever to score on a Penalty Shot. I'd Take Horton over Staal and Zherdev Personally. Horts is a heart and soul guy who's not afraid to dish out or take hits, he might not score as much as Zherdev or Staal,but his BoneCrushing Hits and Leadership ability will put him over the two.

 

[coolio123]

Ryder-playing very good lately

 

[stardog]

http://www.postgazette.com/pg/04057/277677.stm


Just an interesting side note to this discussion, here is a snippet from today's Pittsburgh Post Gazette. It has a quote from Mike Barnett, Phoenix's general manager on this year's Calder race.

"General managers do not vote for the Calder Trophy that is awarded to the NHL's rookie of the year -- that is done by the Professional Hockey Writers Association -- but Phoenix's Mike Barnett made known that, if he had one, his vote would go to Penguins C Ryan Malone. "I know the goalie in Boston is probably going to get it because he has good numbers," Barnett said, referring to Andrew Raycroft. "But I say the Calder goes to Ryan Malone. The people in our business are seeing the goals he's scoring and the way he's scoring them. He's a terrific, young player." Malone fairly blushed when told of Barnett's comment: "It's obviously very nice that anyone feels that way, but I'm really not thinking about that right now. There's a lot of season left, and there are some great rookies out there."

That is a pretty flattering statement and should at least help put questions as to why I had him in my top three to rest. It also answers questions as to if he should be at least in consideration for the Calder trophy. He had a goal and an assist tonight and is second among rookie goal scorers.
I truly feel if he had the team mayes some of the others had, his assist total would be higher as well.

What is really nice about this is the way he said that the people in the business are noticing also....thats pretty damn cool.

 

[craig1]

Malone with another Goal and an Assist in the Pens win over the Coyotes tonight!

19 Goal on the season on 1 point behind Dick Tarnstrom for team points leader.....

.....If he finishes the year as the Pens leading scorer and the Pens leading goal scorer....19...next closest 12...he deserves to be a ROY finalist. I too think Raycroft will win, but he has to be a finalist!

 

[clefty]

Malone with another Goal and an Assist in the Pens win over the Coyotes tonight!

19 Goal on the season on 1 point behind Dick Tarnstrom for team points leader.....

.....If he finishes the year as the Pens leading scorer and the Pens leading goal scorer....19...next closest 12...he deserves to be a ROY finalist. I too think Raycroft will win, but he has to be a finalist!

He's got the backing of 'Yotes GM Mike Barnett

General managers do not vote for the Calder Trophy that is awarded to the NHL's rookie of the year -- that is done by the Professional Hockey Writers Association -- but Phoenix's Mike Barnett made known that, if he had one, his vote would go to Penguins C Ryan Malone. "I know the goalie in Boston is probably going to get it because he has good numbers," Barnett said, referring to Andrew Raycroft. "But I say the Calder goes to Ryan Malone. The people in our business are seeing the goals he's scoring and the way he's scoring them. He's a terrific, young player." Malone fairly blushed when told of Barnett's comment: "It's obviously very nice that anyone feels that way, but I'm really not thinking about that right now. There's a lot of season left, and there are some great rookies out there."

 

[Grave77digger]

For those of you keeping track (noone, im sure) Malone scored his 20th goal of the season with an OT game winner, he has 3 OT winners (tying Jagr's season record), has 4 PP goals, 3 short handed goals, 4 game winners, AND has 4 four on four goals... He is quickly becoming known as Mr clutch and is a player you would want playing in ANY situation...if that doesnt impress you he also leads all rookies in shooting percentage.

Of the top calder rookies who would you consider "the most proficient in his first year of competition"... I would choose the player who could play the PK,PP,even strength and be a threat doing it...My vote is Malone he doesnt have the players Ryder,Hunter, and Bergeron have to feed them and would you trust any of those three to play your PK? Even if they did you think they could net 3 short handed goals?

"The most proficient in his first year of competition", the most complete player...I vote Ryan Malone

 

[Epsilon]

Of the top calder rookies who would you consider "the most proficient in his first year of competition"... I would choose the player who could play the PK,PP,even strength and be a threat doing it

Agreed, and the players who fit that criteria best are Andrew Raycroft and Joni Pitkanen. I think they are a cut above any of the forwards right now.

 

[stardog]

Agreed, and the players who fit that criteria best are Andrew Raycroft and Joni Pitkanen. I think they are a cut above any of the forwards right now.

While I agree that both Pitkanen and Raycroft are excellent candidates, you simply can't overlook the fact that they have a team conducive to supporting them. They have both been brilliant, and I am not remotley suggesting that the team is carrying them.
Malone, however, is shouldering a much greater load on a far worse team. Although it is by neccesity, I don't feel either Pitkanen or Raycroft has had either a greater or lesser effect on thier team than Malone has on his.

 

[Legionnaire]

1.Tuomo Ruutu
2.Nathan Horton
3.Patrice Bergeron
4.Nicolai Zherdev
4.Eric Staal
6.Ryan Malone
7.Micheal Ryder

 

[V for Voodoo]

While I agree that both Pitkanen and Raycroft are excellent candidates, you simply can't overlook the fact that they have a team conducive to supporting them.

Raycroft plays behind a weak D. When I was predicting he would win the Calder before the season began, people said there was no chance he'd put up numbers good enough behind that defense. Now, Boston is certainly better than Pittsburgh but that doesnt mean he's had much more support. One needs only to compare his numbers to Potvin's to see how well he is really doing.

 

[stardog]

Raycroft plays behind a weak D. When I was predicting he would win the Calder before the season began, people said there was no chance he'd put up numbers good enough behind that defense. Now, Boston is certainly better than Pittsburgh but that doesnt mean he's had much more support. One needs only to compare his numbers to Potvin's to see how well he is really doing.

Again, I am not downplaying anyone here. I am simply stating that Malone plays a much larger role (out of neccesity) and that while Bostons defense may be weak, he certainly gets more support from them than Malone does from Pittsburgh's group of forwards. I dont even see how that can be argued. Bostons defense is much better than Pittsburgh's offense.

And comparing Raycrofts numbers to Potvin's is like comparing Tarnstrom's to Bergevin's. Raycroft is simply the better goalie, and deserving of his Calder hype status.

 

[No Quarter*]

I really can't believe, out of all the die hard hockey freaks on this board, that the only people showing Malone any love are the posters from Pittsburghs board.
Ryan Malone has accomplished everything he's done this season playing on a mud team.
In my opinion he's gonna be one of the next generation of superstar power fowards. I've even went as far to say lately that he may quite "POSSIBLY" be the next Keith Tkachuk of the NHL. And I'll definately go as far to say that he stick handles better in traffic than Tkachuk does.
Now I Know that's alittle bit of a quick judgement on a rookie only on seeing play one season, but I've watched him play almost every game this season, and believe me when I tell ya this kid will be a future perrenial 40 to 50 goal scorer once he gets a few good players around him.

 

[Karl Pilkington]

Trent Hunter aside? Last I checked Michael Ryder was leading rookies in points and closing on on the goal lead.. so lets put Micahel Ryder and Trent Hunter aside here..

In which case I would have to say that the next best rookie forward is Ryan Malone for pittsburgh. He has 19 goals for the worst team in the NHL.. could you imagine if he played for a team where he had other players to set him up? I'm kind of suprised to see not too many of you mentioned him. No competition Ryan Malone is the next best rookie forward.